DO YOU REJECT SATAN?Kathy
Bernard - Publisher "Get
thee behind me, Satan! You are an offense to me for you are not mindful

of the things of God, but the things of
men. Matthew 16:23

Priest:Do you reject Satan?

Response:I do.

Priest: And all his works?

Response:I do.

Priest:And all his empty promises?

Response:I do.

Oscar Wildeonce said, "I can resist everything except temptation".How true this is for all of us. We are weak and
subject to Satans lures because we feel we deserve what appears to be a magnificent
offering; a one time better grab it thing.

Itis not a sin to be tempted.It is being strong enough not to act on that temptation.

How many of us paid attention to what we said in response to our renewal of
baptismal vows on Easter Sunday?And as a
Christian Catholic, how many times have we fallen prey to Satan when we are confronted
with one of his extraordinary decoys to steal us away from Christ?

We often fall short of being the Christians we should be.Some of our sins are small; others fall into a
gray area sometimes.Some sin actions are
blatant and defiant in spite of our claim to Christian values. When we open
the door for Satan to willingly come into our lives by our acceptance of the
small tokens he uses to snare us, we must recognize this is one of Satan’s
oldest tricks to steal us away from God. However, "No temptation will
overtake you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, Whowill not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with
temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear
it." ICorinthians10:13.

There

is a story about Satan selling some of his tools at a garage sale he was
giving. There on tables grouped by importance were his bright, shiny but deadly trinkets.One could find tools that made it easy to tear
others down.And for those who had big egos,
there were lenses for magnifying ones own importance, but if you looked through them
the other way, you could also use the lens to belittle others.An unusual assortment of gardening implements
stood together with a guarantee to help your pride grow by leaps and bounds.Also in prominence was the rake of scorn, the
shovel of jealousy for digging a pit for your neighbor, tools of gossip and backbiting, of
selfishness and apathy. All of these were pleasing to the eye and came complete with great
promises and guarantees of prosperity.The
prices, of course, were steep but a sign declared "Free Credit Extended" to all."Take at least one home, use it.You don't have to pay until later!" old Satan
cried rubbing his hands in glee.

One prospective buyer was
looking at all the things offered when he noticed two well-worn, non-descript tools
standing in one corner.Not being
nearly as tempting as the other items, he found it curious that these two tools had price
tags higher than any other. When he asked why, Satan just laughed and said, "Well,
that's

because these two are more useful to me than the others.I can pry open and get inside a persons
heart with these when I cannot get near them with my other tools. Once I get inside, I can
make people do what I choose. They are badly worn because I use them on almost everyone,
since very few people know that they belong to me.Satan
pointed to the two tools, saying, "You see, I call that one Doubt and the other
Discouragement. Those will work when nothing else will."

Doubtand discouragement are insidious and destructive.If we allow these two human conditions to flower
and become uppermost in our minds, they become stronger and more insistent, allowing Satan
to enter and wreck havoc with our beliefs.

RejectingSatan sounds frightening, especially when he's described as being
the "father of sin and prince of darkness."We know he is the master of seduction but we cringe to think that he has any
power over us.Because Satan is crafty he
uses everyday settings in which to steal a part of our Christianity.If we give him an inch, he will take a yard,
always under the guise of benign andnon-threatening measures.Therefore if we act against our consciences (the
Holy Spirit) and ignore our baptismal vows, we are open to the wiles of Satan and will
become separated from God until we no longer can hear His warnings.

Weare all subject to the pull of evil.From the very beginning of time, Satan has raged a battle for the souls of
men and women God created.He wants to take
as many souls as he can to eternal hell with him so he is joyful each time a Christian
falls into his trap of trickery.We
must be vigilant and watchful, asking God for His help. Although we may sin, if we become
sincerely ashamed and contrite, feeling the sorrow of that sin, we can ask for Gods
forgiveness.

St.James
4:7tells us Submit to God.Resist the devil (Satan) and he will flee
from you.And then again 2 Peter2-9
gives us hope when we are toldThe Lord
knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under
punishment for the day of judgment.Keep
in mind that Satan tempts us today in the same way he tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden
of Eden.We also know he even tempted
the Son of God in the wilderness for forty days (Luke 4:1-13).But God has given us everything we need for
victory over sin every time.Ephesians
6:10-16 says the following:

Finally,my brethren, be strong
in the Lord, and in the power of his might.Put
on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand
in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt
about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the
gospel of peace; Above all, taking the
shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked.

Do you reject sin as to live in the freedom of God's children?Do you reject the glamour of evil and refuse to be
mastered by sin?Do you reject Satan, the father of sin and the prince of darkness?Do you reject Satan and all his empty promises?

_______________

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried,
he shall receive the crown of life,

which
the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James1 :12

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